The Main Puzzles

Statistics

The 2002 Hunt had eighty-three puzzles (not counting one or two
unintentional additions), more than any other previous Hunt. The
winning team found the coin after 41
hours and 29 minutes.

Board Puzzles

Most Solved: Puzzles 1-2 and 1-6 were each solved by eighteen
teams. A few teams disappeared or merged with others as the Hunt
progressed, and many of the puzzles in the later rounds were solved by
anywhere between seventeen and fifteen teams.

Least Solved: Only four teams solved 5-2. (Solving this puzzle
forwards required a visit and a bribe, so we know that three solved
this puzzle forwards and one team got this by backsolving.)

The Killer: No team solved 4-6, forwards or backwards.

Fastest Solution: The first team to solve 7-8 called in just
eighteen minutes after we released it.

Slowest Solution: We forced teams to wait a while after we
released 2-7, and its first solution was called in 5 hours, 22 minutes
after its release. Nobody had to wait once we released 3-5, however,
and its first solution was called in 4 hours and 27 minutes later.

Most Solved Block: The three red board puzzles were solved by
eleven teams, more than any other set of board puzzles.

House and Hotel Puzzles

Most Solved: For houses, Orange A and Dark Blue D were each
solved by twelve teams. Nine teams solved the Yellow and Cyan hotels.

Least Solved: Four house puzzles were solved by only four
teams. The only teams who solved the Magenta or Purple hotels were
the three teams who found all eight hotel solutions.

Killers: Nobody solved Orange B or Green B, forwards or
backwards.

Biggest Leap: One team solved the Cyan hotel without solving a
single Cyan house!

Smallest Leap: Teams that solved the Purple hotel had each of
the six constituent answers for hours before finding a solution.